Unsung heroes? Anti trafficking advocacy and celebrity at the grassroots.

Unsung heroes? Anti trafficking advocacy and celebrity at the grassroots.

Global anti trafficking– celebrity and CSR

The geography of the making rather than the doing of celebrity International prizes Impacts at the grassroots Question/debates of authenticity (some research) Impact on alliances and solidarities (some research) Impacts on the individuals (no research)

Making anti- trafficking heroes in Nepal Maiti Nepal: CNN Hero - AnuradhaKoirala Shakti Samuha: US State Department - Charimaya/Anu

Grassroots Celebrity: the benefits and costs • Higher profile • Attracting more returnees • Attracting funding • Pride in membership • Recognition is not always good • Increased danger • Divisions and splits • The doubled edged cost of remembering

Profile and funding Because of this award [referring to the award Anu got] many people got to know about Shakti Samuha. Earlier people didn’t heard and know about the organization but now when [Anu/we] got the award, it is well known to many people. Whenever we talk about our organization, now people listen us with excitement. (Bal) Of course there are advantages of Anu getting this award. Though Anu got this award she is linked to Shakti Samuha. So the award has helped to introduce the organization with donors and to others; now everyone knows about Shakti Samuha, this is the situation. (Sunita)

Celebrity in the global South: Making a hero - the collective Last year Anuradaha sister got the award. …. I felt it was ok. This time Anu sister got the award. And I felt like it is our award, our organization got this award. (Lali)

Backlash for the collective In organizational level, the organization is now known as survivors’ organization. The sisters who have recently joined Shakti Samuha, there is now a big challenge in their part that people would identify them as trafficked survivors as Shakti is known as survivors’ organization. This kind of fear is there among those who have joined us recently. (Anu)

Earlier I could freely go in the communities and approach the sisters and do the activities on my own, without any problem and without any fear. Trafficking is an organized crime and it has very organized network. There was no fear for me in the past. But now after this event and publicity people know me as Charimaya fighting trafficking issues; it wouldn’t be as easy as it was before for me to go to the communities (Anu). ... The personal and the body

Own Memory To talk about my return in Nepal it was again a big shock to me. 15 years ago when we landed on the same airport we/I had to cover my face in order to hide it. 15 years after this incident again I arrived in this airport and this time I saw a big mass there to welcome me with flowers and garlands. I saw the changes. May be it was due to the changing time and context… I don’t know how to define it. (Anu)

Shared Memory We were very happy the day when knew Anu ji got the award. On her return we went to airport to receive her. But that day reminded us the very day in 1996. Because we were directly brought at the airport and we didn’t even had a dress to wear; some of us had taken the dress from others. It reminded me the way we were treated by the media, the government and the society; it reminded us the stigma, rejection and all the comments made against us. Those who were pelting stones [figuratively] at us saying Bombay ko bhalu (bears of Bombay- bhalu is a word used here for prostitute), the same media was there in the airport to welcome her on her return from US after receiving the award. We saw this difference. It is a matter to be proud for her receiving the award. (Goma)

To be honest I felt like someone else getting the award when she (head of Maiti) got award of CNN Hero. I felt totally different at that time because Anuradha is not a trafficked person; she didn’t experience it personally. She knew about it from other. For her it’s just getting knowledge through a book. But this time a trafficked woman received the award; it is her real experience. So this time I felt like our award. My idea is Anuradha got the award for working for trafficked survivors, in this regard she worked for other but in our case(Charimaya’s case) we got the award working for ourselves because we ourselves are trafficked survivors. I want to confirm that it doesn’t mean the other way. (Shanti)

But it sometimes really hurts me when I compared Anu didi with Anuradha Koirala (head of Maiti Nepal) who got another award last year. You see Anuradha in a car and you see Anu didi who has a long history of struggle rushing all the time and running on foot; she also got the award; she is hero but you see the difference. She has fought a lot for the organization and from organizational point of view it is very good. Many donor agencies have approached Sahkti Samuha particularly after Anu receiving this award opting to support it. But personally what has she got? What she has gained? After all she is a trafficked woman and people see her this way. It is painful to me and I feel the difference when I compare the life styles of these two women (Anu didi and Anuradha) (Goma) Celebrity in the Global South: Making a hero - the individuals

Where to find out more ESRC project ‘Post Trafficking Livelihoods in Nepal: Women, Sexuality and Citizenship’ www.posttraffickingnepal.co.uk Laurie, N. et al (2011) ‘Crossing back over the open border: geographies of post trafficking citizenship in Nepal’ ARI, NUS conference working paper Richardson et al. (2009) Sexual Trafficking in Nepal: Constructing Citizenship and Livelihoods, Gender, Place and Culture 16 ( 3): 257-276. Poudel, M. (2011) Dealing with Hidden Issues: Social Rejection Experienced by Trafficked Women in Nepal LAMBERT Academic Publishing

Unsung heroes? Anti trafficking advocacy and celebrity at the grassroots.